From: joshua@dmccorp.com (Joshua Lellis)
Subject: Silence: A Deadly Weapon
Date: Fri Feb 03 03:20:04 MET 1995

and while we're at it. this is a repost of my *favorite* short story I've
ever written. The comic book version of this, written and drawn by
myself, is being finished up right now. I don't know whether or not i'm
going to publish it onto paper. If I do, hell, I'll probably advertise
here. If I don't, you'll probably never see it. Anyhow, any response is
loved and cherished. so, if you would be so kind. :)
joshua@client.dmccorp.com

Silence
A Deadly Weapon
by Joshua Lellis
copyright 1994 Joshua Lellis

   A dark light cast itself across the area between the gas tanks and the
store. I waited silently, by myself, in this dark area, breaking the
darkness only once by lighting a cigarette.
   Shit. I'd sweared I'd given up on them.
   But you can't give up. There's no giving up on anything. I puff on the
cigarette, cough, and look at it. The faint glow of the end smiles at me,
and I frown back. Imagine what this crap's doing to my lungs. I drop the
cigarette on the ground, and smush it. I took the pack and tried reading
the side. The latest S.G. warning.
   There's a woman in the store, buying booze. She doesn't have any
money. She doesn't look rich. The man behind the counter motions her to a
room in the back. She goes there.
   I light another cigarette, and wait. I wish there was a place I could
sit. It gets boring. I've been doing this for two nights in a row now.
Nothing's changed.
   She comes out crying, booze in hand. There's a new tear in her shirt,
above her right breast. She walks out of the door, towards her car. She
puts the booze down in the passenger seat, sits in the front.
   She cries for ten minutes, twenty maybe, I lose count after a light
goes out. Then the pop of a beer can, and a guzzle. She tries to drown
herself in the booze, end the problems that way.
   I walk towards the store, push the door, and enter. The man nods to
me, and I nod in return. I rest against the wall for half an hour,
staring him down. He finally asks me, "Got a problem, dick face?"
   I nod, pull the shotgun, and blow his face off. "That's for her."
   I walk towards the back room, quietly. There's a man sleeping in the
bed. I walk towards the closet, open it. There's a little girl, nine
years, bawling her eyes out in a dream. There are women's clothing on the
hangers. I pull off a nice looking dress, and plop it on the floor. I
wake the little one up, and tell her to get out. She runs.
   I took out my lighter and set the dress on fire, and then threw it at
the man. He stirs, jumps and cries out in pain. "What the fuck what the
fuck!"
   I aim the shotgun at him, and blow off a chunk of his leg. "Ahh, shit,
what the fuck!" he screams.
   There's movement somewhere, a back room to the back room maybe.
   "Did you enjoy what you've done, you sonuvabitch?"
   "What?" he yells back. "What do you mean what I've done?"
   I take off his other leg. He drops to his knees, and the blood rolls
over the floor. "Man, you know how much pain you're gonna be in soon?" he
asks me.
   "No. Please explain further."
   I fire into his abdomen. He doubles over onto his stomach, and his
butt rests on the back of his feet.
   "I'm gonna-- gonna-- ah fuck... -- take that gun, and I'm gonna shove
it up ya -- cough -- ya ass."
   I fire at his head, and pieces fly off the skull, chips.

   The sky bleeds blood at night when no one is awake and listening.
   Morning is the time for the imp to rest, and the midday ends the
   peacefulness when man realizes he will die.



--
Hate your enemies              Joshua Lellis -- Jacob Latter -- Stauf
Save your friends                     joshua@client.dmccorp.com
Find your place                  Stauf @ CE (telnet 204.156.18.1 5000)
Speak the truth